Tsvangirai flies into Bulawayo Storm

MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai will be flying into a storm in Bulawayo on Wednesday, following the suspension of provincial vice-chairperson and Bulawayo Central MP Dorcas Sibanda on Friday.

Provincial spokesperson Mandla Sibanda said Tsvangirai will be on four day visit to Bulawayo.

He said Tsvangirai would hold a meet the people tour, attend a number of district rallies and attend the party's women's day celebrations on Saturday at Stanley Square.

Sibanda confirmed that MP Sibanda had been suspended adding the province wanted to investigate claims that she had already started forming structures to rival official party programmes.

Tsvangirai's visit is likely to be soured by internal strife, after MP Sibanda allegedly swore she would not take the suspension lying down.

The provincial leadership, comprising 56 of the 64 members of the executive met on Friday and suspended MP Sibanda on allegations of threatening to form parallel structures in the party.

MP Sibanda allegedly mobilised a group of MDC-T Veterans Activists Association (VAA) and disrupted a provincial meeting last week.

She was allegedly protesting the decision to elevate Nomvula Mguni to acting provincial chairperson, after the province allegedly overwhelmingly rejected her for the post.

The post fell vacant after incumbent Gift Banda was barred from taking office following a court Challenge by Matson Hlalo who lost the post to Banda in an election.

There were fist fights that allegedly left a security guard nursing a black eye when the group tried to storm into the meeting.

Her followers have vowed that they will do whatever it takes to meet Tsvangirai and tell him about the rot in the province.

"We know she was rejected by the executive but the people in the grassroots want her. We know they will block us from having an audience with President Tsvangirai but we will meet him no matter the consequences," said a party member.

MP Sibanda could not be reached for comment as she was not answering her mobile phone.